Demand for New Railway Zone in Andhra gets louder

Vijayawada (BZA): The demand for setting up a new railway zone for Andhra Pradesh near the capital region around Vijayawada is becoming louder, ever since the government announced the location for the capital last week.

A new railway zone for AP has been proposed in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 and the Indian Railways has constituted a committee comprising senior officers to examine the feasibility of the proposal and submit a report within three months.

Avagahana, an intellectual forum, initiated a discussion on the issue recently and demanded that new railway zone be announced without delay. Forum secretary Konda Sivarami Reddy said that the headquarters of the new railway zone should be located near the capital city to ensure better coordination with the State government and local administration.

Additional secretary of Rail Mazdoor Union (RMU) said that Vijayawada-Guntur region was the most suited locations for setting up of a new railway zone, considering the fact that the Railway was a complex techno-administrative organisation, adding that the decision over the issue should not be based on political considerations. Former MLA L. Eswara Rao suggested that development of Nadikudi-Srikalahasti railway line should be taken up as a special project, as it was recommended by Sivaramakrishnan Committee, and it would be a parallel line to the existing Secunderbad-Vijayawada-Gudur railway line.

Pending project

Zonal Rail User Committee member P.S Murthy said that without proper rail connectivity, projects like Metro Rail and high speed trains would come to naught.